


We Fell in Love in December

by trashycatarcade



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Holiday break, M/M, Pining, Unrequited Crush, or is it? :)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:22:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27866061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trashycatarcade/pseuds/trashycatarcade
Summary: After having no where else to go, Billy comes home with Steve for winter break.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Comments: 5
Kudos: 60





	We Fell in Love in December

Billy feels Steve shift against him on the couch, causing the blanket draped over their bodies to pull away from Billy’s left shoulder. The heat radiating off of Steve managed to warm Billy enough that the loss of blanket didn’t bother him too much. It also helped that before starting the movie Steve had excitedly lit the fireplace on the eastern wall of the living room. Steve sighed heavily in his sleep and his breath blew against Billy’s exposed neck, causing him to shudder. Billy’s face heated at the sensation. He looked over to the sleeping boy beside him and felt some kind of ache deep within his chest; why was he doing this to himself?

His first wrong decision was agreeing to go home with Steve Harrington for winter break. He had offhandedly mentioned that he would be staying on campus for the break after getting permission from the school-he really wasn’t itching to go back to his dad’s house-and Steve was  _ aghast _ . He insisted that Billy come back with him for the break and Billy couldn’t say no to the boy he’d been crushing on since ‘welcome week’. So, he packed up some shit and rode shotgun to nowhere, Indiana. 

Billy’s crush on his friend was manageable while they were still in school and Billy wasn’t living out his secret domestic fantasies, but this really was getting too much. They were snuggling on the couch watching _ It’s a Wonderful Life _ for god’s sake, how much worse (better) could this get?! Billy had teased Steve for the movie choice, but once again, he couldn’t say no when Steve pleaded with him. “It’s a classic!” Steve had argued. 

The movie played on, George Bailey being led through town to witness what it would be like without him. Outside, a thick blanket of snow covered the quiet town, Billy watched the snowfall through the picture windows behind the couch. He knew better than to imagine that this could be his life, that Steve could love him back and they could spend quiet nights wrapped up together. One of the logs on the fire crackled loudly and Steve jolted awake, lifting his head from Billy’s shoulder in a quick motion. Billy felt like he had been woken up too. Steve squinted at the tv screen for a minute before he turned to Billy.

“Sorry, I guess the drive took more out of me than I thought,” He apologized, looking a little embarrassed, maybe a twinge of shame too. Billy wanted to erase all of those uneasy feelings, wanted to assure Steve that he could sleep on him for the rest of his life and he wouldn’t mind. 

“It’s alright, man.” He said instead, smiled at Steve to ease his anxieties at least a little bit. 

He looked back at the screen and frowned. “Shit I missed half the movie,” Steve cursed. 

“We uh, we could try watching it again tomorrow?” Billy suggested with a light shrug. Another loud crackle came from the fireplace. He was really whipped wasn’t he?

“I thought you said this movie is, and I quote, ‘cheesy as hell’?” Steve teased him. He had this goofy grin on his face that had Billy flustered; he just looked so.. Cute.

“Well, you,uh, like it, or whatever, so if you wanted to see it-” Steve cut him off with a snort, which turned into a fit of laughter between the boys. Steve’s head fell forward and he leaned his forehead against Bill’s shoulder. He leaned back fast, like he realized what he was doing was wrong, like he had been burned from the touch. Then he stood up from the couch, blanket dropping to the carpeted floor and eyes owlishly wide. 

And something about that hurt Billy more than any of the other things that had happened; the moment was sullied by the harsh reality that nothing could ever happen between the two of them. Even with his suspicions that Steve may not be entirely straight, the homophia ingrained into him from living in a small town like Hawkins had done its number on him. Boys shouldn’t touch like this. Boys shouldn't sit close together under a shared blanket. 

“We should go to bed then..” Steve started moving around the room: he pulled the tape out from the vcr, shut the tv off, and busied himself with putting the fire out.The warmth Billy had felt with Steve by his side was similarly snuffed out. He picked the blanket up from the floor and draped it over the back of the couch. 

“Goodnight, I guess.” Billy said awkwardly. He made his way to the guest room Steve had shown him when they first arrived. He didn’t even bother turning the lights on, just changed into sleep pants and messily untucked the sheets on the twin sized bed. He glanced out the window; the snow had stopped. 

Laid in the unfamiliar bed, Billy could hear Steve walking around the house, probably turning off lights. As he walked down the hallway just beyond the guest bedroom’s closed door, the floorboards creaked slightly. Billy expected to hear the footsteps recede, but instead they stopped outside the door. Then there was a quiet knock. “Billy?”

He eased out of bed and opened the door, revealing Steve’s figure outlined by the dim lamp still on in the hallway. Billy waited for Steve to say something and the silence stretched on for a minute longer. 

“I,” He paused, Steve was obviously thinking carefully about his words, “I care about you a lot and I don’t want to make you uncomfortable because I get so clingy. I always feel so comfortable around you and I know I take it too far. I’m sorry, you just need to tell me if I’m bothering you, I won’t be mad.” 

“Steve,” Billy sighed. God, was he really about to do this right now? He supposed it was now or never, “You’re not making me uncomfortable, pretty much the opposite actually. I like you-a lot-and I know you don’t feel the same way, so you don’t have to say anything.” Was it hot in here? Billy’s face and whole neck felt heated and red, he couldn’t even force his eyes up from the floor to see Steve’s reaction. After these few short hours of winter break, Billy has already ruined it. 

“Are you kidding me? I invite you to my house for a month and literally cuddle with you and you think I  _ don’t  _ feel the same way about you? I thought I was being  _ too _ obvious?!” Steve’s exclamations cut through the silence, echoing through the empty house. Billy finally looked up at Steve, finding only a mix of disbelief but excitement written on his face instead of the disgust he was expecting. 

“You’re serious?” Billy questioned him. 

“Oh my god, what do I need to do to convince you? Kiss you?” Steve laughed. Billy looked at him expectantly. Steve tentatively stepped closer to Billy, right hand coming up to rest gently along the side of his face. “You’re sure?” Steve asked, which Billy answered with a nod. 

Their noses bump a little when Steve leans in too quickly, not hard enough to hurt, but enough for Steve to mumble a “sorry” and let out a small laugh. Billy tilts his head to get the angle right, his hands reach for Steve’s hips. When their lips meet, he feels like he’s soaring. Billy’s been waiting so long for this, had thought it was impossible. Steve pulls back after a few moments, it doesn’t feel long enough but Billy knows this is just the beginning. 

“Believe me now?” Their lips brush when Steve talks, neither of them ready to completely untangle themselves from each other. 

The next night, Billy finds himself watching  _ It’s a Wonderful Life _ , Steve is cuddled up with him once again. This time, Steve is wide awake. Billy has a hard time paying attention to the movie with Steve’s left hand playing with the curls at the nape of his neck, but it’s a welcomed distraction. He wouldn’t trade this moment for anything in the world. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be fluffy but then the angsty pining happened... Hope you liked it! And yes, the title is a play on we fell in love in october by girl in red. 
> 
> I'm on tumblr as opaldraws ;)


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